Lisbon: Captain Cristiano Ronaldo left the field with a thigh injury as Portugal drew 1-1 against Serbia in their Euro 2020 Qualifier game here Monday night. However, there were no such problems for World Champion France as Kylian Mbappe scored one and set up two more as they routed Iceland 4-0 at the Stade de France in Paris.
Ronaldo was replaced after 30 minutes in Lisbon as Fernando Santos’ reigning European champions drew for a second time in their opening two games of the campaign after they were held Friday by Ukraine.
There was no word whether the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would be fit for to play for his club Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal at Ajax on April 10.
Ajax playmaker Tadic opened the scoring from the penalty spot to give Serbia a shock lead. Ronaldo was denied an equaliser two minutes later as his effort was very well saved Marko Dmitrovic under the Serbian bar
However, in spite of Ronaldo leaving the field, Portugal equalised three minutes before the break when Danilo Pereira hammered his shot from outside the box into the top corner past a helpless Dmitrovic.
Meanwhile victory against Iceland gave France six points from their first two matches and puts them ahead Turkey, who also won 4-0, Monday, on goal difference.
“It was our objective to take six points but the manner we played was good as well,” France manager Didier Deschamps told the post-match press conference. He added that he was pleased that all three strikers — Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Oivier Giroud – scored. The other goal, the first of the game was scored by Samuel Umititi in the 11th minute.
Agencies
